Lock with adjustable tumbler assembly



June 1970' K. A. BERGENDAHL 3,514,982

LOCK WITH ADJUSTABLE TUMBLER ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 16, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG] U Fl 6.2 m 1 1: g

June 2, 1970 K. A. BERGENDAHL 3,514,932

LOCK WITH ADJUSTABLE TUMBLER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1967 FIE-3.5

United States Patent 3,514,982 LOCK WITH ADJUSTABLE TUMBLER ASSEMBLY Kavalli Alverius Bergendahl, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to E. A. Rosengrens Aktiebolag, Goteborg, Sweden, a Swedish joint-stock company Filed Oct. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 675,663 Int. Cl. Eb 25/00 US. Cl. 70-355 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lock having a tumbler assembly which is adjustable to adapt the lock to be operated by a new key without requiring removal or disassembly of the lock. Each tumbler of the tumbler assembly has two portions, one of which is actuated by the key and pivotally mounted on a pin in the lock box. The other portion is mounted on the first portion so that both portions are pivotal as a unit about said pin during normal operation of the lock. Means are provided to permit relative pivotal and linear displacement between the inner and outer portions when adjusting the tumbler assembly to accommodate a new key.

Key locks usually are delivered with two, at times with more keys. A lost key can imply that it has come into a wrong persons hand, and thereby the lock has lost its safety. For restoring it, either the entire lock has to be exchanged or the tumbler system must be altered for a new key permutation. As both alternatives are relatively expensive and complicated, in most cases no change is made at all.

The present invention has as its object to render this change simpler and cheaper for the lock owner, in that the owner needs only to order new keys with a different permutation. A prerequisite condition, however, is that one of the original keys still is available. The owner can then readjust the tumblers to the new permutation with one of the new keys. This is possible in that every tumbler comprises two parts which are connected with or disconnected from one another when readjustment is being made to a new permutation with the new key.

The invention is substantially characterized in that one tumbler part which is actuated by the key and pivotally mounted on a pin in the lock box, supports with its outer edge on two diametrically opposite surfaces at second enclosing tumbler part.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an example of an embodiment of the lock according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the lock.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the same lock.

FIG. 3 shows the lock with the cover removed.

FIG. 4 shows the lock with the cover removed and the tumbler parts partially cut away for rendering the bolt visible. The key has been turned through 90 whereby the bolt was displaced somewhat to unlocked position. The eccentric can now be turned through 180 for adjusting the tumbler parts.

FIG. 5 shows the lock with the cover removed and the tumbler parts partially cut away for rendering the bolt visible. The eccentric is turned through 180 for adjusting the tumblers, and the old key is removed.

The invention is described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A lock box 4 comprises a bolt 10, tumblers 1, 5, inter- ICC mediate washers and a cover 14. The bolt 10 is provided with a tumbler pin 11, a recess with an engagement position for a key 23, a recess 9 for the guide bosses 7, 8 of an eccentric and a hole 15 for connection to the lock system in the door. Each of the tumblers comprises two portions 1, 5 of which the portion 1 is mounted inside and constitutes the support for the outer portion 5. The inner portion 1 is pivotally mounted on a pin 3 and provided with a hole 16 for the key 23 and with two diametrically opposite circular arc shaped portions 2 having the centre in the pin 3. The portion 1, besides, has cogs 17 which upon connection mesh with corresponding cogs 18 on the portion 5. The outer portion 5 is provided with a recess 19, cogs 18, a slot 12 for the tumbler pin 11 and a groove 20 for the eccentric 6 which, as mentioned above, is provided with bosses 7, 8 for guiding in the groove 9 of the bolt 10.

Between the tumbler portions 1, 5 are disposed in usual manner intermediate washers which prevent the tumblers from actuating one another. The number of tumbers in the assembly can be varied in view of the desired number of key permutations. The entire tumbler system is controlled by a double spring 13 when the key 23 is removed.

For adjustment to a new permutation the eccentric 6 is turned, whereby the tumbler portion 5 is moved away and into engagement with the tumbler portion 1. The bosses of the eccentric 6 prevent the eccentric from being turned in the lock in locked and unlocked position by the bolt 10. The groove 9 is widened, for example for half of the stroke of the bolt, to form recesses 21 and 22 where the bosses 7, 8 of the eccentric 6 run free upon the disconnection and connection of the tumbler portion 1 with the tumbler portion 5 when adjustment to the new permutation is being made, the pin 11 then being in engagement with the tumbler portion 5 in the slot 12.

For altering the lock to the new permutation the old key is placed in the lock and turned through in clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 4. Thereafter the eccentric 6 is turned through whereby the eccentric boss 7 passes the recess 21 and the boss 8 passes the recess 22 in the bolt groove 9. As a result thereof, the tumbler portions 5 are moved so that the cogs 17, 18 become disengaged. The key is turned back through 90 and taken out of the lock, whereby the lock portions assume the positions as shown in FIG. 5. Now the key is inserted and turned through 90 in clockwise direction. The eccentric 6 is turned back to its starting position whereby the tumbler portions 1, 5 are again connected, and the lock is adjusted to the permutation of the new key.

The lock details concerned by the invention are not bound to the embodiment shown, but can be varied considerably within the scope of the invention.

1. A lock having an adjustable tumbler assembly, comprising a lock box for said tumbler assembly, each tumbler in said tumbler assembly comprising an outer portion entirely enclosing an inner portion with both portions being located in the same plane, pivotal means fixed to the lock box for pivotally mounting said inner portion, said inner portion being adapted to be actuated by a key and said outer portion being adapted to actuate a bolt, said inner and outer portions have cooperative means for mounting the outer portion on the inner portion so that the inner portion constitutes the support for the outer portion on two diametrically opposite circular arc-shaped portions having a centre common to the pivotal axis of said pivotal means, said cooperative means providing for pivotal movement of both portions as a unit about said pivotal means during normal operation of the lock and providing for relative pivotal and linear displacement between the inner and outer portions 'when adjusting the tumbler assembly to accommodate a new key.

2. The lock according to claim 1 wherein the outer tumbler portion in its longitudinal direction is arrested and displaced, respectively, by an eccentric.

3. The lock according to claim 1 wherein the tumbler portions are controlled by a double spring.

4. The lock according to claim 2, wherein said bolt is provided with a groove, said eccentric having bosses in said groove to lock the eccentric against turning in the locked and unlocked postion of the bolt.

5. The lock according to claim 4 wherein said eccentric is provided with means to provide for rotation of said 4 eccentric to adjust the tumblers, said means comprising a tumbler pin in engagement with a groove in said outer tumbler portion, the bolt being provided with a further recess which is adapted to be disposed in the center of the eccentric when a key is turned through 90 degrees.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 666,697 1/1901 Roche 70-384 690,537 1/1902 Taylor 70-3s4 1,032,962 7/1912 Taylor 70'339 1,549,581 8/1925 Lewis 70383 1,693,731 12/1928 Sioberg 70-683 15 2,221,664 11/1940 Susser 7()-384 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 384 

